The Various Artists independent Film Festival Offers Filmmakers the Opportunity to Experience a New Evolution of Festival Competition

Chicago, IL, March 10, 2022 --(PR.com)-- The Various Artists independent Film Festival (VAiFF) is now open for submissions. VAiFF accepts short films from filmmakers of all ages, ethnic groups, and backgrounds from Chicago and around the world from various categories and genres. Filmmakers have the opportunity to win a production grant to produce and premiere their film during the opening night of next year's event.

VAiFF has no film eligibility expiration. Other festivals won't allow films for consideration if completed longer than two years prior. Not VAiFF. When Omar McClinton, Program Director of the festival, was asked about the open eligibility rules, he responded, “I believe a project or the passion a filmmaker has for that project doesn’t expire after two-years. As fans, most of our favorite films are older than 2 years. As long as the filmmaker believes in their project, 2, 5, or 10 years ago, they should be allowed to submit and showcase that film. Good films don’t have an expiration date. The festival circuit hasn't changed enough to meet the dominance of the internet and social media opportunities that are largely positive and productive for filmmakers. VAiFF hopes to change that."

Festival submissions continue until June 2022 with teaser trailers and promos of the submitted projects available for online "view and voting." The winners of the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters with the most positive online votes will square off against each other at the annual year-end live screening and presentation ceremony in Chicago, Illinois.

Winners of these semi-finals are judged by some of the entertainment industry's most established and celebrated judges, with projects that have made over $13 Billion dollars worldwide. Some of their judges panel have included:

Carl Jones (Writer, Producer, and Director "The Boondocks," "Black Dynamite" and "The Last O.G." )

Joyce Cox (Producer / VFX Producer of "The Jungle Book" (2016) "Avatar," "Titanic," "Men in Black 3," "The Dark Knight," "X-Men 2: X-Men United")

Rich Koz / Svengoolie (Emmy Award-Winning Host and Chicago Native)